I’m going to be cooking from these 10 African American cookbooks all summer long ~ choose one or two to add to your collection and join me as I explore the rich world of black cuisine in America, I can’t wait to get cooking!
This short list of cookbooks embodies the rich culinary traditions of the black community. They pay homage to the resilience, creativity, and cultural contributions of African American chefs, authors, and food enthusiasts throughout history. Delving into this collection not only celebrates delicious recipes but also recognizes the deep-rooted stories and experiences behind each dish. I can’t wait to share some of the recipes I discover with you in the coming months; I’m planning to cook and post from these books throughout the summer. If you decide to purchase any of them we can cook together.
THE COOKING GENE ~ Michael W. Twitty
Michael Twitty is a chef and culinary historian who dives into the world of race, slavery, culinary injustice and Southern food culture in The Cooking Gene, which won the James Beard 2018 Foundation Book Award for Book of the Year. His mother’s recipe for heirloom apple crisp will be one of the first I try. Michael is a food blogger and blogs at Afroculinaria.
SOUL: A CHEF’S CULINARY EVOLUTION IN 150 RECIPES ~ Todd Richards
A chef and Atlanta based restauranteur, Todd Richards has two James Beard nominations for Best Chef in the Southeast, was named one of the “Four New Chefs to Watch” by Esquire Magazine, and was an Iron Chef competitor. Soul is his first cookbook and it brings a chef’s sensibility to humble down home cooking, starting with the iconic soul food ingredient: collard greens. We love barbecuing chicken slathered with Todd’s Strawberry Barbecue Sauce!
COOKING FOR THE CULTURE ~ Toya Boudy
Beyond the recipes themselves, the cookbook is enriched with personal stories from Boudy’s life, including her struggles in school, becoming a mother at a young age, her growing confidence in the kitchen, and eventually her appearances on Food Network.
BETWEEN HARLEM AND HEAVEN ~ Alexander Smalls and JJ Johnson
Alexander Smalls is a chef and restauranteur whose NYC restaurant The Cecil was the first Afro-Asian-American restaurant in the city, and was named “Best New Restaurant in America” by Esquire magazine in 2014. Between Harlem and Heaven traces the African diaspora and its influence on the culinary renaissance of Harlem.
PLUM | Gratifying Vegan Dishes ~ Makini Howell
Recipes from Seattle’s Plum Bistro are wildly creative, vegan, and delicious proof that African American chefs aren’t all defined by the southern tradition. Makini Howell is a lifelong vegan and plant based food advocate ~ if you live in the area, Plum Bistro is offering curbside pickup right now!
PRINCESS PAMELA’S SOUL FOOD COOKBOOK ~ Pamela Strobel
This is a new printing of a vintage classic written by Pamela Strobel who opened the The Little Kitchen, a twelve-seat soul food restaurant in Manhattan’s East Village in the 1960s. The speakeasy style restaurant counted Diana Ross, Andy Warhol, and Gloria Steinem among its many fans. Her peanut butter biscuits are first up on my list to try 🙂
AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE COOKBOOK | Traditional Recipes and Fond Remembrances From Alabama’s Renowned Tuskegee Institute ~ Carolyn Quick Tillery
I can’t wait to dig into this book! The Tuskegee Institute was founded by former slave Booker T. Washington in 1881, and this cookbook includes 200+ recipes, as well as vintage photos and first hand accounts of the early days of African American cuisine.
GRANDBABY CAKES ~ Jocelyn Adams
Jocelyn is a virtual friend and fellow food blogger who’s been cooking up amazing food on her blog of the same name since 2012 where you’ll find everything from baby back ribs to Southern strawberry lemonade cake. Her recipes are inspired by her grandmother, and have a wonderful vintage charm.
JUBILEE | Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking ~ Toni Tippton-Martin
If you’re looking for a way to introduce yourself to the canon of black American cooking, Jubilee is a great choice. You’ll get access to generations of historical recipes that have been ‘translated’ for the modern kitchen. Food historian Toni Tippton-Martin has done the work, all you have to do is cook and enjoy. My husband has already chosen that Louisiana barbecued shrimp (on the cover) as the first recipe we make.
THE TASTE OF COUNTRY COOKING ~ Edna Lewis
This is the 30th Edition of the seminal cookbook by the grand dame of Southern cooking, Edna Lewis. She organizes recipes according to the seasons the way she grew up making them in a rural Virginia farming community of freed slaves. The Taste of Country Cooking is a must-have book for anyone who loves to cook. Edna’s Busy Day nutmeg cake is a fan favorite, and we love her simple Shrimp and Grits.
What a great tribute to learn and eat what could be better. Not sure I can find these in Canadian libraries but will try once they reopen.
Hi Sue!
So happy to see this post! Already own Edna Lewis’ rich collection of country recipes, and look forward to exploring the others you showcase here.
Wonderful idea you have shared—food is a powerful way to connect people and our cultures. My hope is that this connection, and others being made at this tumultuous time, will warm hearts and open minds and progress to fulfillment of peace and freedom for all. There must be a better way, and we shall find it.
Sue, I also appreciate this post. I and many others have come to realize that just being kind to everyone is not enough. Being open to establishing personal connections with people and encouraging others to join you is the key to lasting change and food has always been a wonderful way to connect with others. I already own The Taste of Country Cooking and look forward to exploring the other cookbooks and sampling their recipes along with you!
I’m looking forward to it too Elizabeth, if you have any favorites from the book, let me know 🙂
Thank you for this list. I live in Seattle and Plum is my go-to restaurant. The food is amazing, whether you’re vegetarian or not. Thank you for featuring it, our restaurants need our support! Your recipes are wonderful, thank you for sharing your talent. I’m going to try some of the cookbooks you recommend, great selection.
Sue, I so appreciate your addressing our current social turmoil with positive action through food and our mutual food experiences. Unlike some other food bloggers who have chosen to ignore our generation’s biggest and most profound and important social movement for justice and equality for AA, you have embraced it and tried to approach it through food. Thank you for supporting what’s right and just because Black Lives Matter.
PS – I love your blog, your recipes are always excellent and I will continue to support and read your blog every day. Thank you!
Thanks for the lovely message of support Alex, I appreciate YOU!
Thank you for assembling this list. I’m excited to buy some of the books and try out new recipes.
I’m devouring Red Rooster Harlem from Marcus Samuelsson- and I understand he has a new book with his home cooking recipes! Love Marcus.
He’s next on my list, love his tv show.
If you had to pick one of these books to get, which one would you choose and why?
I’d get Jubilee, it’s got lots of recipes and covers the whole history of Afro American cooking. It’s the most comprehensive and ‘cookable’ of the lot, if I had to choose.
I first borrowed this book from the library as I use that resource to preview before purchasing. I just purchased this book. It is wonderful. I read it cover to cover and learned so much and have marked MANY recipes to try – it is truly an outstanding find.
Thanks so much for this list. I’m going to my Amazon page right now! HA! I was only going to get one or two but after reading your reviews, I might have to get more! HA!
They are all pretty expensive though, if not on Kindle!
I choose my new cookbooks very carefully, so I get it. Kindle is a great way to go.
I feel like it’s a worthwhile investment in so many ways 🙂
I recently purchased the Edna Lewis book and Jublilee, and am looking forward to making some of the items therein. Ms. Lewis’ book is fascinating to read, not just for the recipes
Great choices, both faves of mine 🙂